Too Late
by Erisella
Summary: It took one simple decision to make Cobb realize how much he needed Arthur in the years that they've been together: Arthur walking away.


**Too Late**

**Summary:** It took one simple decision to make Cobb realize how much he needed Arthur in the years that they've been together: Arthur walking away.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**Note:** I don't own Inception.

…~~~~…~~~~…

It was the simplest thing and yet Cobb had never expected it to hurt so much. He always knew on some level that it would come one day, but he never expected it to leave him feeling so miserable. It was so simple and it was the worst thing that had happened to him since the day that Mal died.

The saddest part, to him, was that this wasn't some sort of life altering thing. It wasn't as if someone had taken something from him. His family wasn't threatened. He hadn't been threatened. His life was in perfect order and he was slowly putting himself back into the extraction business. He just hadn't been expecting _this _to come out of left field.

He hadn't been expecting Arthur to say no.

…~~~~…~~~~…

"How are things going in Morocco?" Cobb asked the first night Arthur had called him.

"They're moving along," the point man answered, almost bored. The sounds of the keys on a keyboard being pressed could be heard, "How are the kids doing?"

"They're alright, but they keep asking where you've gone," the extractor replied, knowing it was only a partial lie.

"Just tell them I'm on vacation. I'll be back in the states in a couple of weeks and I'll bring something back for them."

"Arthur, you don't have to."

"You named me godfather so it's part of my duty to bring them presents."

There was a long moment of silence.

"Listen," Cobb started, not sure how to word what he was about to say, "I still don't understand what happened. You've never been very enthusiastic about working with Eames before."

"It's a job, Cobb," Arthur said with a sigh, "He offered and I said yes. I didn't know if you were retiring or not and I wasn't about to just wait around and find out. I'm not apologizing for taking this job over the one you offered me."

A part of the extractor wanted to point out that the other man had always waited for him, even in the aftermath of what happened with Mal. Arthur had waited.

"Look, I have to go, but I'll call again soon. I'd like to talk to the kids."

"Take care of yourself, Arthur."

"You too, Cobb."

He couldn't say that it didn't hurt when he heard the point man's end go dead first.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Eleven Years Ago]**

The young man that stood before him was not what he had expected. He was standing there in a suit he had obviously gotten at a discount warehouse somewhere, cheap, but enough for a professional meeting. His hair was long and carelessly pushed out of his face, curls framing his boyish features. Then there was the attitude, that cold composure.

"What's your name?"

"Arthur."

"Full name."

"Don't have one."

"Don't be smart with me. What's your name?"

"I'm not going to repeat myself, Mr. Cobb."

"You're going to have to watch your tone if you want this job," the extractor said, not able to make up his mind about the person sitting before him.

The file had been impeccable. This boy, Arthur, was everything he could have asked for. The guy was an army brat, recruited into a special section of the government early, worked in intelligence and covert ops all before he turned eighteen. Then he transferred to the front lines, voluntarily. He made mistakes, but he was a fast learner.

"Why did you leave your last position?" Cobb asked, indicating the file on his desk.

"You mean why did I decide that it was time to become a criminal?"

"Tone."

"Mr. Cobb, everything that you need to know is in that file. As far as I'm concerned, this is just another job. I'm either qualified or not."

"I'd say you're over qualified."

"Then what's the problem?"

"You're too closed off to people. You haven't had one meaningful connection since you started your career."

"I'm not required to be open to people for this job. Not in this line of work."

"Communication and trust is what makes a team work."

Arthur leaned forward then, his eyes fixed on the extractor with such intensity, Cobb wasn't sure how to react, "Mr. Cobb, you should know, more than anyone, that in this type of business trust is earned, not given."

The extractor smiled at that answer, "You certainly know what you're talking about."

It was then that the younger man smiled as well, "I was hoping you would say that."

That singular smile transformed the way they interacted with one another. It was as if in that moment of understanding, they connected on a much deeper level, one that could neither be seen nor felt.

Cobb ended up hiring Arthur as his point man, something he was hesitant about, even with the background that the other man had. He may have been experienced, but he was still just a kid. Later, Mal would tell him that it was alright to trust his instincts, even if he had misgivings about them. She proved to be right when Arthur proved to be the best they had ever worked with and would become known as the best in the business.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Present]**

"You're looking more irate than usual," Eames commented as he took a seat next to Arthur, who had been staring off into space moments before.

"I'm not irate," the point man countered, straightening up before he turned to his open laptop.

There were several minutes of silence between the two and the only sound to be heard was the clicking of the keys. Then the forger was reaching over, putting a gentle hand on Arthur's wrist. The point man looked up, not moving. Eames knew how to read people, but he always had trouble reading Arthur. Yet now, the normally composed point man was portraying a story in every line of his features. The forger had been watching the story pay out in front of him for years.

"It's because of Cobb, isn't it?" Eames asked, his voice sympathetic.

"What is?" Arthur asked, trying to not let his voice betray him.

"Don't deflect. I've seen that look on your face so often I know what it means."

"Let me get back to work, Mr. Eames," the point man pulled away from the forger and focused his attention back on his laptop, but his expression told Eames he was a million miles away.

Eames got up and walked away, knowing when it wasn't his place to push for more information. He hadn't been lying when he told Arthur he had noticed that look. It was an expression he had gotten used to over the years, having known both Cobb and Arthur. At first he hadn't been able to place the look, but in the years after Mal died it became clearer and clearer.

Arthur was in love with Cobb and had been for near a decade, perhaps even longer.

…~~~~…~~~~…

"You look a lot better than you have in years," Miles said with a smile as he raised his mug of steaming tea to his lips. His eyes were cast toward the distance, watching as James and Phillipa played in the backyard, "I'm glad you're getting back on your feet after all you've gone through."

"Thanks," Cobb replied, smiling as well, "It's been wonderful being back with the kids."

"I see that Arthur isn't here this time," the professor said, looking around the kitchen. It had once been spotless, but was now littered with stray dirty dishes and mugs, countertops dusted with crumbs.

"You can tell?"

"He knows how to take care of the place and certainly made a very fine cup of tea."

The extractor couldn't help but smile at that, "He landed a job. I couldn't as well have made him stay just because he kept the place looking spotless."

"Did you ask him to stay?"

"No."

"Liar."

"You read me like a book."

"You have, as they say, a terrible poker face."

Cobb raked a finger through his hair, looking out the window at his children running about in the backyard, climbing the play set that he and Arthur had built for them, together. Every single thing reminded him of the fact that the point man wasn't there with him, wasn't there to be called on at a moments notice. The thought reminded him of how much he had wished Arthur had stayed.

"You want him to come back, don't you?" Miles' voice cut through the extractor's thoughts.

"Am I that obvious?" Cobb asked, trying to mask his unhappiness with a smile.

"Perhaps not obvious enough."

The extractor wanted to ask what that meant, but at that moment the kids were running back into the house, tracking in dirt and bringing in their outdoor voices.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Ten Years Ago]**

Mal Cobb looked beautiful, standing tall and confident. Her figure was always flattered by everything she wore. Her curls framed her face in such a way that it was hard to look away. Mal was someone that any man could have fallen for. She was gorgeous, graceful, and full of life. Her accent was just the cherry on top.

Arthur had liked Mal the moment Dom introduced them almost a year ago. What he hadn't counted on was him liking her enough to go along with her requests. When she started to exclusively ask for him for every job they encountered, he was hesitant to keep in such constant contact. However, as they, all three of them, started to become more and more familiar with each other, he found that it was hard to say no when they approached him with job offers.

The point man loved watching the way the Cobbs worked. Mal was so nurturing and instinctive, knowing exactly what to do to right a situation. She acted with such ease that it was as if everything she did was second nature. Dom on the other hand was wound tight when he was on the job, all furrowed brows and frustrated sighs. Yet he worked with such determination and had such big ideas it was easy to be sucked in by him. The two were a perfect for each other, working like two perfectly matched cogs.

As happy as he was working with the Cobbs, he had no idea where he fit in. They constantly called him back, always throwing in that they would be glad to welcome him into their own lives as well, outside of work. He tried to decline, but Mal was always insistent, treating him like the younger brother she never had.

"I'd like you to come to our home for Christmas," Mal said to him one day as he was writing notes in his notebook.

Arthur looked up from what he was doing and gave her a bemused look, unsure of what to make of her suggestion, "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Why not?" she smiled, approaching his makeshift desk and leaning against it.

"Because our relationship wouldn't be professional if I did," the point man replied, trying to wave off the conversation.

Mal persisted, "Maybe that's the direction we want this relationship to take."

"We?"

"Dom and I."

"I don't know about this."

Somehow, Mal convinced him to go and though he was uncomfortable at first, surrounded by people he didn't know, he eventually loosened up. He got a chance to really talk to the Cobbs on a personal level and found that he liked what he heard. He knew that there would be no way to keep their relationship professional any longer after the party.

That night, after Dom had one too many drinks, the extractor put an arm around the point man's neck and whispered, "I'm really happy you came."

Dom's lips had been so close to Arthur's ear when those words were said the younger man felt the slight brush of them, sending a shiver down his spine. The point man had tried to hide the blush he knew was making its way across his features, but Mal noticed and gave him a smile, pulling him into a tight hug. He wondered if she would have hugged him had she known that he wasn't blushing out of embarrassment or unease.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Present]**

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked, trying to not let his discomfort show.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Eames asked, smirking.

The forger had caught the point man as he was about to leave, cornering the younger man and trapping him in a corner.

"You're invading my space," Arthur said, voice laced with annoyance, "Now get out of my way, Mr. Eames."

The forger took a deep breath, his expression becoming more serious as he leaned in closer, "Not until you tell me why you took this job."

"How is that important in any way?"

"Because in the years that I've known you, you've never been far from Cobb. Never."

The point man was silent, glaring daggers at the older man.

"So what is it?" Eames asked, "Did you have a lover's spat?"

Eames knew he shouldn't have said those words because in the next moment, Arthur was on him, lashing out, movements filled with anger and little coordination. The forger had to fight back, knowing that if he simply let the point man attack him, he'd be asking for an early grave. They were caught in a deadlock, neither winning nor losing the battle. But then Arthur struck with a vicious left that Eames hadn't seen coming and it floored him. The forger could have sworn that for a moment he saw stars.

Then the fight was over and Arthur was standing there, panting and wearing the most pained expression Eames had ever seen in his entire life. Suddenly, Eames felt guilty because he knew he had been the one to bring this up. He knew he was the one that put that look on the other man's face.

"You know, don't you?" Arthur asked, his voice trembling. That composure was falling away and the forger almost believed he could see the younger man's armor deteriorating in front of his eyes.

"I wasn't sure for a long time, but after what happened with Mal… It all came together," Eames answered honestly as he pushed himself up from the floor and dusted himself off, "I realized I'd seen you with this look, this look that I can't even describe, on your face for years."

"I didn't want anyone to know," the point man's words were close to a whisper.

"That's why I never pushed."

"Then why did you push just now?"

"Because you haven't been on a job without Cobb for almost a decade, probably more. How could I overlook that?"

There was a long drawn out silence. Neither spoke, but Eames observed, watching the way Arthur's shoulders shook. He watched the younger man's face, seeing the pain that had been building up for years prior. In that moment, he wanted to reach out and pull Arthur to him, but he kept his distance, knowing that it would be the worst thing for him to do.

Finally, the point man drew in a long breath, "I took this job because it was time to let go."

"Let go?" Eames asked, not sure if he was interpreting that right.

"I can't keep wanting something I can't have," Arthur confirmed, running a hand through his hair, "I've been so pathetic and crazy, following him and sticking with him through everything. I wasn't going to just leave, but I realized that I have no place in his life. There was never room for me in the first place."

"Arthur."

"Don't try to make me feel better about it because it's not going to work."

"I know. I just wanted you to know that you're not pathetic or crazy for feeling what you do."

And Arthur laughed, placing a hand over his face as if trying to wipe away the hopeless expression he knew he was showing.

…~~~~…~~~~…

Cobb smoothed back the hair on his daughter's face, watching her sleeping form. He had managed to get her to bed after reading a short story three times over. James had been less fussy and ended up falling asleep before he even finished the first story he had picked out. Placing a gentle kiss on Phillipa's forehead, he rose from his chair and turned out the light before walking out of the room, leaving the door slightly askew.

He proceeded downstairs and made his way into his study where he turned on his computer. He hated to admit it, but he had asked a few of the people who he still trusted in the extraction business to look up what type of job Eames had asked Arthur to be a part of. It was just his luck that one of the people on the job in Morocco owed him a favor. From his computer, he received information on the job and every couple of days he would study the notes. The notes, he knew, were written by Arthur. They had been scanned for him and the handwriting was hard to miss, cursive, small and loopy, slightly tilted to the right.

He realized that it was an easy job the first day he started reading the notes, but for some reason he felt he needed to keep track of the job. He wanted to believe that he was a part of it because Arthur was a part of it. _I'm acting like a complete stalker._

There was only one item in his mailbox when he pulled up his email. It was an encrypted message and it contained no notes about the job, but it contained observations from his informant.

_Cobb,_

_It seems that Arthur and Eames are getting along a lot better than you thought they would. I have no idea why you said they never liked each other. They look as if they're genuinely happy to be working with one another. They're constantly coming in and leaving with one another._

_Nothing new has been developing with the job. We're executing the plan in a days time. I will give you an email with the results and that should be it for our correspondence._

_-G._

The extractor reread the first paragraph several times, unable to stop the aching in his chest he felt at those words.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Ten Years Ago]**

"You really like working with Arthur, don't you?" Mal asked one morning, smiling over her breakfast of pancakes and fresh fruit.

"He's a good worker. He's confidant and knows what he's doing," Cobb replied, sipping his coffee, "The only problem is he doesn't know how to open up to people. We've been working with him on and off for a year and he still seems very untrusting."

"Well you can't expect him to just open up, sweetie," Mal said, brushing her hair from her face. Then she gave a wicked smile, "You have to lure him in first."

Dom gave her a look of confusion, "You're making it sound like a game of seduction."

"It almost is."

The extractor rolled his eyes.

"Oh Dom, you have such little imagination sometimes. I suggest we invite him to our Christmas party."

"I don't think he's going to accept."

In the end Arthur had accepted and went to the Christmas party. Unfortunately, Dom remembered that night he was getting a little too drunk and pressing himself a little too close to Arthur. Mal would tell him later that he had embarrassed the point man. The second thing he would remember, that he never told Mal, was that he intentionally wanted to be close to Arthur that night.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Present]**

Eames was watching the way Arthur acted, grabbing up clothes and folding them. The point man was getting ready to catch a plane back to the states, but the forger could already tell that the other man was hesitant, taking his time with the tasks on hand.

"So, that's it?" Eames asked casually, "You're heading back to the states?"

"Yeah," Arthur answered, his voice gave nothing away, even as his hands fumbled with the last of his possessions.

The forger stepped forward and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder, stopping what he was doing, "Do you really want to go back?"

There was a moment of silence before the point man turned to Eames, "No. I don't."

"Then come with me."

"What?" confusion was plain and clear in Arthur's voice.

"Come with me to wherever the hell I go. Maybe we'll end up in Cairo or Taipei. Maybe we'll take a trip to Oslo or jet off to Jamaica and get ourselves tans."

"Eames."

"Are you going to tell me that you can't because you have some obligation to Cobb?"

"No, I-" Arthur couldn't find the right words and he stood there for a long time before throwing the last of his things into his small suitcase. He studied the hotel room before he fixed his eyes on the forger, "Where to?"

And Eames smiled.

…~~~~…~~~~…

When Cobb didn't hear from Arthur a week after the job was over, he tried to call the point man. Arthur's cellphone had been disconnected and when he heard the recorded message stating so, he felt that aching in his chest, as if that robotic voice was ripping out his heart. He tried to email instead, asking when Arthur would be back and that the children missed him. He only got a short response.

_I'll call when I get back._

There was nothing else.

Cobb felt empty, knowing that Arthur was no longer by his side.

…~~~~…~~~~…

Arthur was happy. He hadn't wanted to admit it when Eames first dragged him from country to country, city to city. He had been resistant, not knowing how to enjoy himself, hardly even taking in the sights, but a month into their adventure, he realized that he hadn't felt so free in the longest time. He was happy and it was the biggest relief he had ever felt.

They settled in Cambridge, England, renting out a two room apartment eventually, realizing that they needed to take time off from jet setting across the world. It had been Eames' idea and Arthur found that he wasn't reluctant to agree to the things the forger wanted anymore.

"So, are we officially roommates now?" Arthur asked the first morning in the apartment together as he was making coffee.

"I suppose we are," Eames said with a smile, sitting at the counter connected to the kitchen, "How do you feel about that?"

"I have to admit, I wasn't sure about this whole venture at first," the point man said, pouring coffee into two mugs. He added extra sugar to one cup and handed it to Eames, "But now I realize I really needed it. So, thank you."

"The pleasure was all mine," the forger said, raising his cup slightly before taking a long sip.

Arthur took a seat on the stool next to the other man, setting his mug down and opening the morning paper. As he looked through the columns he realized that it had gotten terribly quiet in the apartment. He carefully folded the paper and glanced over at Eames who was eyeing him with a strange look.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, brows furrowed together in confusion, "Do I have something on my face?"

"I have to apologize," Eames said as he got off his seat.

"Why?"

Then the forger was leaning in, their lips touching for just the smallest moment before Arthur pulled back in surprise.

"For that," Eames answered, a lopsided smile gracing his features, "That probably wasn't one of my better id-"

Before the forger could finish his thought, the point man's lips were on his again, kissing him slowly. Eames places his hands on either side of Arthur's face and pulled the younger man closer, pressing their bodies together. Then they were pulling back, uncertainty painted across their features.

"What about…" Eames couldn't make himself finish that sentence, not after what he had just done.

"He doesn't matter anymore," Arthur answered with his voice soft, but neutral, "I was chasing after someone I could never have and I've accepted that it was never meant to be."

"Are you sure?"

The point man gave a short, pitiful laugh, "There will always be a shred of doubt, won't there?"

"I won't expect you to stay if you find that, in the end, what you wanted was meant to be."

"That doesn't matter right now."

Then Eames was pulling Arthur to him, kissing him over and over again.

…~~~~…~~~~…

Cobb waited expectantly for Arthur, knowing that the point man would be making his appearance at any moment. He had gotten an email a few days before. It was short and stated that the point man would be back in town to visit. He specified that there would be gifts for the kids.

When the doorbell rang, the extractor shot up from his seat and went to the door. He smiled when his eyes landed on Arthur, standing there with a bag in his hand filled with wrapped presents. But then his eyes landed on Eames, standing right behind the point man, also holding a bag if gifts. Cobb tried his best to not allow his smile to falter.

"Arthur! Eames! I wasn't expecting two of you," Cobb said, gesturing for the two men to enter his home. He couldn't help the way his heart was pounding against his chest when Eames walked by him, all smiles. The two walked straight to the living room and set down their bags. Cobb was right behind them and took a moment to Pull Arthur aside, "You should have told me he was coming."

"I'm sorry, it was a last minute decision," Arthur apologized with a small smile, "Where are James and Phillipa? I'd like to see them."

"They're still napping," the extractor answered, "They should be up soon, but why don't you guys settle down and I'll make some coffee."

"That sounds good," Arthur replied before wordlessly making his way back to Eames.

Cobb watched the way the two were interacting, noticing how different Arthur looked after being away for three months. The point man was certainly smiling more and looked as if he had really been taking care of himself. The extractor realized that Arthur looked content.

With a resigned sigh, Cobb walked into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee before pulling down three cups from the cupboard.

…~~~~…~~~~…

"Are you okay?" 

Arthur looked up at the sound of Eames' voice and smiled, "I'm fine."

"Then why are you looking so forlorn?" the forger asked, sitting down next to the point man on the hotel bed.

"I don't know," Arthur answered truthfully, "I really have no idea."

"Do you miss him?"

"In some ways."

"Arthur."

"Eames, I'm not leaving you for him. I'm happy with you. I know where I fit in with you," Arthur said, pressing small kisses against the forger's neck and face, "With you, everything makes sense and I don't want to give that up."

Eames placed his hands on the point man's shoulder and slowly pushed him away. The younger man gave him a bemused look, unsure of what the action meant. The forger raked a hand through his hair and gave a sigh. He had wanted to talk to Arthur since they left Cobb's home, but he wasn't sure how to approach the subject.

"What is it?" the point man asked.

"You didn't notice?"

"Notice what?"

There was a long moment of silence before Eames spoke again, "He has feelings for you."

Then Arthur's hand was on the forger's cheek, turning his face to face him. Their lips met in a gentle kiss, moving against one another slowly and surely. When he pulled back, Arthur was smiling and he ran his fingers through the other man's hair.

"That doesn't matter," Arthur said, "It doesn't matter because I have you."

…~~~~…~~~~…

Cobb stopped trying to contact Arthur, deciding that it was better to move on and do jobs on his own. He never met another point man as good as Arthur, but he persisted, telling himself that he had to work with other people.

…~~~~…~~~~…

Arthur and Eames worked as a team, tackling all manners of jobs handed to them. People in the dream sharing business came to expect the two of them to take the same jobs and the underground communities began to whisper and speculate about why the best point man in the business was no longer working with the best extractor in the business.

…~~~~…~~~~…

One day Arthur decided to see what Cobb had been up to. It's been almost a year and as much as he wanted to say that he was able to forget about the extractor, he liked to think that they were still friends and could look out for one another. After a couple hours of looking around, he found out that Cobb's new team botched a job in Prague and that they were all being hunted.

"You can go if you want," Eames said from over the point man's shoulder, making the younger man jump in his seat.

"Jesus, Eames, don't do that!" Arthur exclaimed, one hand over his chest.

The forger grinned, place a kiss on the top of the other man's head, "I know what you're thinking, love."

"When do you not know what I'm thinking?" the point man asked, smiling, but it was short lived, "Will you be okay with me doing this?"

"You're still his friend, Arthur. I'm in no position to stop you."

"We can go together. We're a team right?"

And Eames was smiling, pressing kisses into Arthur's neck.

…~~~~…~~~~…

Gunfire was all around him. Cobb ducked and ran through the empty streets, unable find a hiding place in a city he had never been in before. He had decided that the best idea would be to drop off the grid, but the people after him were well informed and seemed to have eyes everywhere. _What the hell did I get myself into?_

He ran down an alley and too late realized that it lead to a dead end. He hit the brick wall before him, looking every which way to see if there was a way for him to escape. He found nothing. Turning, he realized that there were five men approaching him, their guns already drawn. They hadn't fired, knowing that their prey was helpless.

Cobb pressed his back against the wall, feeling the coarseness and coldness of it against his back. He closed his eyes and flinched, nearly jumping out of his skin when he heard gunshots being fired. Then he was opening his eyes, staring at his fallen enemies. Before him stood two men he recognized immediately. Arthur and Eames. Relief flooded through him.

"What are you doing here?" Cobb asked, his voice still shaking.

"Heard you were in trouble," Eames approached, smiling and placing his gun back into its holster, "You were hard to track."

"I didn't want to be tracked," the extractor said, his gaze moving to Arthur who was checking the bodies. Then the point man was rising and approaching, "I don't get it."

"Get what?" Arthur asked, putting away his own weapon.

"You two being here."

"I'm still your friend, Cobb," the point man answered and he gave a small smile, "I couldn't just abandon you when I knew you were in trouble."

Cobb stood there, not sure of what to say. It had been almost a year since the last time they had seen each other. He wasn't sure of how he felt about the sudden meeting, but knowing that he still had someone to count on made him feel happy and relieved.

"This is the part where you hug and make up," Eames said, nudging the extractor.

Then Cobb was reaching forward and wrapping his arms around Arthur, pulling him into a tight hug. In that moment, feeling the heat of Arthur's body against his, something clicked in his mind. He thought back to all the years that they had together, all the glances that he had brushed off, the looks that he had interpreted to be something else, the words he had convinced himself were platonic and said out of friendship, and all the small touches and brushes of skin that were fleeting but lingering.

"Arthur?" the words were catching in his throat.

The point man pulled back, looking into the extractor's eyes, "What is it?"

Before he could get the words out of his mouth, a gunshot ran through the night and then Arthur was slumping against him, dead weight in his hands as he tried to hold the younger man up.

"No!" Cobb heard Eames crying out before taking out his weapon and firing into the darkness, unsure whether his bullets were hitting their mark.

And Cobb slid to the floor, his breath seizing in his throat as he pulled Arthur off of him. That was when he saw the blood flowing from the back of the point man's head, rapidly staining the ground and everything it touched. He stared and stared, unable to take his eyes off of that lifeless face that had been so close to his just moments before. His mind was unable to digest what had just happened.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Eight Years Ago]**

"I really like working with you Cobb," Arthur smiled, not quite able to meet the extractor's eyes, "That's why I keep coming back."

Cobb smiled back at the younger man, "We like working with you too."

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Seven Years Ago]**

"He always gets this look on his face when you say something nice to him," Mal said, smiling and giving a small laugh, "It's adorable. It's like he has some sort of crush on you."

"Mal, don't make fun of the kid," Cobb said, but he was smiling too, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

…~~~~…~~~~…

When Mal gave birth to James, Cobb watched as Arthur held their newborn boy. Instead of an expression of happiness, he wore one of sadness, as if hope were draining from his face.

"Are you okay?" Cobb asked.

"I wish I could have what you have," Arthur said, smiling sadly and gently brushing his fingers along James' face.

Cobb had no words.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Six Years Ago]**

Arthur knew everything about him. Cobb never had to worry about telling the point man what he wanted. It was almost as if the younger man could read his mind. Arthur did everything for him without question and once in a while Mal would poke fun at him, telling the point man that he might as well marry her husband he knew Cobb so well. Arthur always blushed at that and would quickly turn back to his work to hide his embarrassment.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Five Years Ago]**

Arthur was the first to notice that things were different with Mal. He would talk to Cobb and endlessly try to figure out what was wrong. The extractor remembered pushing the other man away, saying that he knew how to deal with it.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Four Years Ago]**

When Mal jumped, Arthur was there, holding all the pieces together, no questions asked. When Cobb explained he had to get out of the country, Arthur packed his bags and asked, "Where to?"

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Three Years Ago]**

"Why haven't you left me yet?" Cobb asked, burying his face in his hands. The job had gone terribly and it had been his fault.

Arthur simply shrugged, "I'm in this with you until the bitter end."

And Cobb had smiled, relieved that he had someone to count on.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**[Present]**

Cobb could hear Eames yelling, pulling Arthur from his arms. The extractor watched as the forger clung to the point man's prone body, as if he could bring him back by holding on as tightly as he could.

_I never told him,_ Cobb thought as he felt the tears welling up in his eyes. He had known for years how he felt and in those last moments, he finally realized that Arthur had felt the same way.

It was too late.

…~~~~…~~~~…

**Note:** I know. I'm an awful, awful person. I just wanted to write something sad. Feedback is always appreciated.


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